UMC describes enhanced SOI transistor

By
05.27.2004 :: 8:22AM EST

UMC has apparently clarified the techniques that it has developed in order to increase transistor switching efficiency. UMC, which spends over a quarter-billion dollars per year on research and development, recently claimed that it had created improved transistors through “substrate engineering.” UMC has now claimed that it has perfected a “Direct-Tunneling induced Floating-Body Potential for Silicon-on-Insulator transistors,” which involves electrons tunneling through a thin insulator. This direct tunneling behavior is known as the floating body effect, and is a phenomenon associated with Silicon-On-Insulator transistors. The floating body effect reduces the reliability of the transistor, but the new UMC design should allow both increased drive current and reliable operation. Although this new transistor should not require any changes to the manufacturing process, these enhanced SOI transistors will probably not equal the performance or efficiency of a multi-gate transistor. Multi-gate transistors benefit from greatly increased drive current as well as substantially reduced leakage. UMC's enhanced transistor could serve as a stop-gap device until multi-gate transistors become ubiquitous.

USER COMMENTS 6 comment(s)

Yes, but…(9:49am EST Thu May 27 2004)This is very good news for UMC, assuming they can put this new technology into effect relatively soon.

Multigate transistors are the future, but they require relatively extensive modification to the fabs involved, which will be pricey. UMC's technology will not supplant multigate transistor technology, but it help improve transistor performance in the present, and perhaps help push back the transition to multi-gate (pushing back is bad for consumers, I know, but the longer we wait to implement, the less it will cost, and that means lower selling prices, and less taxes to the German people (for AMD, anyway).

– by DrSengir

Gates(11:32am EST Thu May 27 2004)I have multiple gates on my driveway – does this count? – by Shmitt

Shmitt(1:03pm EST Thu May 27 2004)What material are these gates made of?

The way I understand, “Schmidt” denotes a common blacksmith and “Schmitt” denotes a precious metal smith (goldsmith generally), so where does “Shmitt” fit in?

– by DrSengir

Is UMC playing games?(10:50pm EST Thu May 27 2004) jsessionid=23MTQC3O5ZKNYQSNDBGCKHY?articleID=21100449

Chipworks seems to have the evidence that UMC's “L90” 90nm process is lacking. – by chipace

Floating body benefit(6:46pm EST Fri May 28 2004)Floating body is a main issue for PD-SOI. But the move is toward FD-SOI multi-gates to address short-channel effects. The tunneling solution may have only a limited short-term benefit. – by fc

soi pd soi fd soi(8:37am EST Thu Aug 25 2005)Hello All

Currently which type of soi device is better, fd or pd?What are the integration issues for the two?Kindly let me know if there is any papers on these topicThank you– by jason